Mrs Moto
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: After a nasty divorce with Yugi, Téa is heartbroken. With the help of a few friends, Téa finds a new apartment, new job, and possibly even a new love. TéaxKaiba
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day in domino city. Mokuba was sitting in the park waiting to meet up with an old acquaintance. A tall slender girl with long red hair was walking towards him. "Hey Serenity, how have you been doing?"

Serenity smiled, "I have been great Mokuba. My goodness you have gotten so tall since I last saw you!"

Mokuba laughed and replied, "Yeah seven years certainly does change a person. Are you liking your new job in Kaiba Land?"

She nodded and answered, "Of course, the benefits are great and I get to see the guys all the time."

"Speaking of the guys, how are they doing?" Mokuba asked.

"Joey is a car salesman and Tristan went to school to be a mechanic. Mai just retired from modeling and is now designing clothes." She answered cheerfully.

"How about Yugi and Téa? The last I heard was they got married about 4 years ago." Mokuba stated.

Suddenly Serenity's smile fell. Her voice lowered to a whisper, "Yes, they were married, but they got divorced a couple months ago," tears threatened to fall down her face as she explained, "For 4 years Yugi went to nursing school while Téa worked 2 jobs to support themselves. She never complained to him, but as one of her only female friends she confided in me, on how hard it was and how tired she felt. Shortly after he graduated, Téa came home early from work one day and found him in bed with another woman. He swore it was the first time that had ever happened and that he would never do it again but she just couldn't take it. She packed up her things grabbed what little money she had saved and went straight to a divorce lawyer. After they were divorced, she found emails and text messages dating back to before they first got married. Addressed to several different girls. I have never seen her so devastated. It's like it broke her spirit. Other than myself, she hardly speaks to anyone anymore."

"OMG I can't believe Yugi would do something like that!" Mokuba shrieked.

Serenity nodded, "I know and that is not even the worst part. The worst part is since she was married to Yugi while he was going to school, she has to pay half of the loans he took out for school. She found an apartment on the east side of town. She is looking for a better job, but so far she has had no luck."

"I think we have some openings at Kaiba Corp. maybe I can talk my brother into giving her a job." Mokuba said thoughtfully.

"I know she would definitely appreciate it if you did." Serenity said hopefully.

An alarm on Mokuba's watch went off and he frowned. "It's been wonderful talking with you Serenity, but I need to go. Seto is expecting me to be at a corporate meeting in 15 minutes."

He blushed as she kissed his cheek, "See you later Mokuba, I hope things go well."

….

Mokuba walked into his older brother's conference room with a huge smile on his face. Truth be told, he has had the biggest crush on Serenity since they first met. His older brother sat at the table with a scowl on his face. Pegasus and his business associates were over an hour late. He looked up when his brother walked in and relaxed a little. "What made you so chipper today Mokuba? Did Raskin Bobbins come out with a new flavor of ice cream?"

Mokuba chuckled and said, "Nah, I just met up with an old friend. Do you remember Serenity from the blimp?"

Seto rolled his eyes and replied, "Yeah, that's wheelers sister. What about her?"

"She's really pretty. I might ask her on a date sometime soon. Anyway, she was telling me about the gang." He answered and thought of how he could ease in the question about Téa.

"As long as she doesn't start barking or bringing fleas into the house that's fine. What's Yugi been up to?" Seto asked.

Mokuba sighed, "I can't believe Yugi. Téa and him got divorced. He was cheating on her all 4 years they were married."

Seto sat up in his seat, for once he was genuinely surprised. "So now what is she doing?"

"She got a small apartment and is searching for a better job. Speaking of which, didn't your personal assistant quit a few days ago," Mokuba asked.

Seto rolled his eyes and answered, "Yeah, I found out she sold a blueprint of my latest duel disk to a competitor. I can't seem to find a person I trust enough to fill the position."

Mokuba then suggested, "What about Téa big brother, she is someone you know personally and I know you trust her because you allowed her to babysit me a few times when I was younger."

"God no, she would drive me crazy all day long spouting out friendship speeches and heart of the cards bullsh!t." Seto replied instantly.

Mokuba countered, "But Seto, she could really use this job and you really need a good personal assistant. Besides I don't think she is going to be talking about friendship anytime soon after that nasty divorce."

Seto rolled his eyes, he knew his younger brother was not going to let this go until he agreed, "Fine, I will call her tomorrow." He looked down at his watch and said, "Screw Pegasus, I have been waiting long enough for him to come to this meeting, let's go to lunch."

"Can we go to Luigi's?" Mokuba asked.

Seto nodded and got up to grab his coat.

Seto and Mokuba sat together in a booth close to the window. Seto ordered the same dish every time he came here so he sat contently watching people pass by out the window. He noticed a familiar face sitting in a coffee shop across the street. It was Téa. She clung to her small jacket like a security blanket and looked like she was waiting for someone. A tall blonde whom he recognized as Mai Valentine met her by the table and gave her a hug before sitting down.

The waitress pulled his mind away from the two women outside when he delivered Mokuba's lasagna and Seto's ziti. Mokuba talked more about his conversation with Serenity and Seto listened, but he also peeked occasionally at the table outside. Téa was obviously crying as she spoke with Mai. He had only ever seen her as a happy go lucky person, so seeing her so broken was foreign to him. Eventually, Mokuba realized that something has captured Seto's attention, so he looked out the window and saw what Seto was looking at.

"Hey, there's Téa!" He said excitedly. He then saw the devastation on her face and Mokuba commented, "Téa was pretty in high school, but now she is GORGEOUS! Has Yugi lost his mind? What could cause him to turn his back on her now? How can someone hurt such a good person?"

Seto replied, "I don't know Mokuba, but it is a cruel world. You can't trust anyone these days. But I agree, Yugi is a moron for letting her slip through his fingers."

Mokuba's ears perked up to that last sentence, maybe this was his chance to get his older brother a girlfriend. Mokuba called the waitress over for some to go boxes. He then told his older brother, "I want to go over and say hello. Why don't you come with me? It will save you from having to call her tomorrow about the job offer."

Seto grunted in response, and followed his brother out the restaurant. She appeared to have regained some of her composure as they walked towards her table.

"Hey Téa!" Mokuba called out excitedly.

She turned her head and saw Mokuba and Kaiba approaching her. She stood up and bowed slightly to greet them. Kaiba was taken back by the greeting, sure it was respectful, but it was odd considering she was close friends with Mokuba.

Mokuba must have noticed the gesture too because he stated, "There is no need for that kind of formality with me Téa." He then gave her a hug and asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," she lied. "How are you boys doing? You have gotten so tall Mokuba. If you keep this up, you're going to pass up your older brother."

Kaiba finally spoke up, "Until he gets a haircut…"

The whole table started to laugh and Mokuba responded, "Everybody's a comedian… So Téa, I was wondering if you knew somebody who is looking for a job? My older brother's looking for a personal assistant and I know you are a pretty good judge of character. We need someone that is trustworthy, hardworking, and loyal. Our last one sold a blueprint to a competing company."

A chilling breeze blew through, causing Téa to tighten the grip on her thin jacket. She then answered, "Actually, I am job hunting currently. What are the qualifications?"

Mokuba looked over to Seto excitedly and replied, "Just either bring in or e-mail your resume to my older brother's office tomorrow morning." He then looked at his watch and said to his older brother, "Pegasus is probably pissed by now, we better get going." Kaiba nodded and Mokuba said, "See you later Téa."

When they got into the limo Kaiba asked, "Why did you act like you didn't know she needed the job?"

You and Téa are more alike than you think Seto. If she knew that we were doing this to help her, she would think we are doing it out of pity. She would have turned it down just because of her pride.

After Kaiba's meeting with Pegasus, he checked his e-mail and found Téa's resume. He looked it over and saw that she had some pretty good experience. He sent an e-mail back that simply stated, "You're Hired. Be here tomorrow for 8:00 and we will discuss your responsibilities as my personal assistant."

…

The next day, Kaiba went to work and found Téa waiting for him in his office. She seemed to be looking out the glass walls overlooking the city. He looked at his clock and said, "You're early." He then sat down in his desk and continued, "Your job is pretty simple. You are basically a glorified secretary: you will answer phone calls, schedule meetings, organize parties and events, occasionally I will send you out for a coffee or lunch run. You will also be doing a lot of filing. Do you think you can handle that?" She nodded and he continued, "We have health and dental benefits and after 6 months you will get 2 weeks paid vacation."

"Sounds great," she said simply. He waited for her to say something else, but she kept quiet. He then handed her a stack of papers and said, "You can get started with this. He pointed out the glass door that lead her to his office and said, your desk is that one over there."

She walked to her desk and quietly got started with her work. Kaiba felt slightly disturbed by her behavior, but he had work to do.

…

As lunch time approached, Kaiba dropped some cash on her desk and said, "My driver is outside waiting for you. Go to China Dragon and say you are ordering for Seto Kaiba. They will know my order, get yourself something too." Téa nodded and smiled gratefully.

While Téa was gone, Mokuba stopped by his older brother's office and asked "What time is lunch going to be here?"

"Téa left about 10 minutes ago to pick it up," He replied while he typed viciously at his computer.

"So, how is she doing?" Mokuba continued.

Kaiba stopped typing, knowing that Mokuba was going to continue to interrupt him until he got all the answers he wanted. "She is fine. Why don't you ask her, when she gets back?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes at Seto's crabby attitude and let him get back to work.

…

When the lady over the counter handed Téa the bag, she noticed there were 3 orders and said, "Miss this has 3 orders in it. Is that right?"

"This is for Seto Kaiba, correct?" she asked Téa.

Téa nodded and the lady replied, "Then it is correct." Téa shrugged her shoulders and thought to herself, 'Man, for a skinny guy, Kaiba sure can eat.'

When Téa made it back to the office she saw Mokuba and said, "Oh, now this makes sense. The third dinner is for you." She chuckled slightly and said, "I thought Kaiba was going to eat all this. I was starting to wonder where you put it." She then handed Kaiba his change.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and led her into the break room. Kaiba's break room was larger than her apartment. It had a full sized kitchen and a dining table that could seat at least 6. There was a television above the stove and Mokuba turned on the news. Kaiba walked to the fridge and asked Téa, "What do you want to drink?"

Téa blinked in surprise and replied, "a bottle of water if you have it."

He grabbed the water and a drink for Mokuba and himself. He slid the water across the table and Téa started to hand out the dinners. She knew which one was which because the lady at the restaurant marked the boxes with S and M. The blank box was hers.

Mokuba asked, "So what did you get Téa?"

"Beef with Broccoli," she answered simply as she grabbed her chopsticks.

"No way, that's big brother's favorite! He gets it every time. I like the shrimp with lobster sauce." Mokuba replied.

Seto looked up briefly at Téa. She had also looked up but, quickly looked away. Kaiba's eyes narrowed, this definitely wasn't the Téa he remembered from high school. The Téa he remembered was attractive, outspoken, and fearless. Now she was still beautiful, but she seemed to have lost her spunk. She became quiet and timid…which just didn't sit right.

…

Kaiba looked at the time and saw that he had worked 3 hours longer than he had planned. He walked out to Téa's office with his brief case and said, "We're done for the day. You can go home."

Téa nodded and let out a yawn. She grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator with Kaiba. When they reached the bottom floor, Téa started down the road. She must live nearby, Kaiba thought to himself as he climbed into the limo.

…

Once Téa made it back to her apartment, she flopped in her bed. The work today wasn't difficult, but the walk to Kaiba Corp was quite a distance. It had been a long time since she took dance lessons, so her endurance was no longer there. She would get used to it though, at least until she could afford a car.

…

The next day, Kaiba came in to work and found Téa sitting at her desk, sorting out his schedule. He stood over her and pointed out a date, "We are going to have dinner with the Yamatoshi Tomokins in New York. Do you have a dress that would work for a black tie restaurant?"

Téa looked as if she was trying to shrink herself in the chair as he asked the question. From the nervous response, he knew the answer. He wrote a number down and said, "This is my designer, Sarah's, phone number. Give her your measurements and she will bring something by later today. It is a 2 day flight to New York so dress comfortably. We are going to stay in New York for 3 days to speak to Tomokins as well as with other business partners. You will be paid for that time, plus your meals, and hotel expenses will be covered." Téa nodded and added the phone number to the list of numbers on her desk. She then picked up the phone to make the call.

…

A few hours later, Téa knocked on the door and asked, "Kaiba, how do you work the thermostat? It is freezing in here." He looked over to her and noticed she was still wearing that same small, thin, and worn out looking jacket.

"Don't you have anything warmer to wear?" he asked as he got up to raise the heat.

"Not with me" is all she said. He nodded and showed her how to use the thermostat. She walked back to her desk and to her surprise he took off his jacket and threw it on her desk. He then shut the door to his office and picked up the phone. Gratefully, she pulled on his jacket and silently thanked him.

…

A woman walked into the office, shortly after their lunch hour with 3 dresses, 2 winter coats, and 3 pairs of shoes. "Good Morning," she greeted, "Are you the woman who informed me that you needed a dress for your trip with Mr. Kaiba." Téa nodded and the woman continued, "Shortly after you called, Mr. Kaiba asked me to bring a few coats for you to try on as well. I hope one of these will do." She held up a black coat and a white coat. Téa was about to protest, but the designer handed her the clothes and pushed her into the bathroom.

The first dress was a formfitting floor length red dress with slits up the sides and a pair of red heels. The second was a dark blue ball gown with Swarovski crystals adorning the bodice it was accompanies with black peep toe heels. And the third was a peach colored gown with a sweetheart neckline with silver slippers.

Kaiba unconsciously looked up every time he heard the bathroom door open. The dresses his designer Sarah picked were stunning. The designer then asked her to try on the two coats. Téa hesitated, but did as she was told. Téa picked up the jacket and was shocked. "What is this made out of? I have never felt anything so soft."

"Cashmere," the designer replied simply. The jackets were very comfortable. "So have you come to a decision," the designer asked.

"I would like the pink dress please," Téa answered.

The designer hung the dress on the back of the door, placed the shoes next to it, and asked, "What about the Jacket?"

"The black one please. Thank you for coming, it has been a pleasure meeting you Ms. Sarah. You are a very talented designer." she concluded.

Sarah smiled and replied, "Thank you Mrs. Moto."

"Just call me Téa." Téa corrected. She refused to be called by than name anymore.

Sarah smiled and said, "I hope to be doing more business with you soon. She picked up the other clothes and walked to Mr. Kaiba's office."

Sarah knocked on the door and Kaiba waved her in. As she walked in she said, "Ms. Téa picked out the peach dress, silver shoes, and black coat. These three items will total 5,000 dollars. Will there be anything else Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked up from his computer and asked, "How much for everything?"

Sarah's eyes got big and asked, "Everything…as in all the dresses, shoes, and jackets?"

"That is what everything means Ms. Sarah," Kaiba answered sarcastically.

Sarah cleared her throat and started to do the math in her head. "It would total to about $12,000."

Kaiba wrote her a check and said, "Just tell her that we may have other black tie affairs to attend that week."

Sarah looked at Kaiba and asked, "If I may be so bold sir. Why are you doing this? You never bought any of your previous assistants dresses."

Kaiba ignored her question and she said, "As you wish sir." She hung the other dresses and jacket up and placed the shoes on the floor.

She pressed the button to the elevator when Téa walked in the room. "Ms. Sarah, you are forgetting these," She said.

Sarah shook her head and repeated what Mr. Kaiba had told her, "Mr. Kaiba said that you may need those dresses for other events that week. If not, you can use it some other time. Mr. Kaiba is always attending one function or another."

Téa looked towards Kaiba's office in shock. By the time she turned back to the designer, she was already gone. Téa then took off Kaiba's trench coat and knocked on his door. He waved her in and she handed his jacket back. "Thank you," she said simply. He nodded but other than that didn't acknowledge her.

When she left the room, he looked over to her and smiled as he saw her pulling on her new coat.

…

It was the day of the flight and Téa met Kaiba outside of Kaiba Corperation. He noticed she was wearing her cashmere coat over her penguin pajamas. He smirked at her ensemble and helped her get her luggage into the limo. Mokuba was there, but it was only to say goodbye. He gave each of them a hug and joked with his brother, "Be sure to take pictures."

"Of stuffy old business men, sure whatever you want," Kaiba joked back.

"No, but I wouldn't mind seeing Téa in a bikini!" Mokuba said.

Kaiba was about to scold Mokuba, when Téa replied, "In this weather, not a chance." She knew he was just playing around.

While Téa got into the car, Kaiba whispered, "As soon as we get back, I am going to talk to you about sexual harassment."

Kaiba followed Téa inside and waved to his brother as the car took off.

…

Kaiba looked at Téa and noticed she looked nervous as she waited for the flight to take off. "Is this your first flight?" Kaiba asked. She nodded and replied, "Yes, but the weather is supposed to be clear. So hopefully it will be a smooth one."

Finally in the air, Kaiba was busy typing away on his laptop while Téa looked out the window and read several books she borrowed from the library. About ten hours in, Téa started to become sleepy. She turned to Kaiba and asked, "Is there anything you need, before I go to sleep."

Kaiba didn't answer. Instead he placed his laptop to the side and grabbed a pillow and a blanket out the overhead compartment. He then handed them to her. He then sat back down in his seat and continued to type. 'I will take that as a no,' Téa thought to herself.

It was a long flight, but finally they made it into NYC. Téa stepped off the plane and stretched, "How is it that I slept so many hours, but still feel tired."

"Jet lag," Kaiba answered simply, "you'll get used to it." He grabbed both of their luggage and carried it to a waiting taxi.

When they arrived at the hotel, Téa walked up to the counter and said, "Pardon me sir, but we have 2 reservations."

He saw Kaiba and started to type on his computer. "I'm sorry Ms. But there appears to have been a mix up. One of our new employees put you down for a double room which has 2 beds instead of 2 individual rooms. There aren't any other rooms available. Will this be alright?"

She looked up at Kaiba and he nodded, so she replied, "That's fine."

Kaiba paid the man and a hotel employee carried our bags up to the room. As they were walking away, Téa started to giggle as she heard Kaiba grumble about the hotel's incompetence.

The room was beautiful. Everything was draped in red and gold. There was a big screen TV sat ontip of a fireplace across from the 2 beds. A door between the beds led to the bathroom and across from the entryway was a kitchenette.

Kaiba looked over to her and said, "In three hours we are going to meet with Mr. Tomokins. You may want to shower and get ready. I am going to call Mokuba and let him know we arrived safely.

…

By the time Kaiba got back from his phone call. He noticed Téa had already showered and was now sitting on the couch wearing a new set of pajamas and a towel wrapped around her head. She pulled the towel from her hair and it carelessly shook out around her face. Despite the fact that she was wearing no makeup, her hair was a complete mess, and the fact that she wasn't wearing anything glamourous…she was still beautiful. She turned when she heard me enter and said, "The shower is available."

Kaiba thought to himself, 'Yeah, I need a cold shower right now.' Kaiba grabbed his clothes and exited into the bathroom.

Once Kaiba had cleaned himself off (and his mind) he stepped out the shower and started to dry off. To his complete and utter horror, he realized he forgot his boxers. Kaiba paced back and forth wondering what he should do. Should he set out there wearing his pants and grab the boxers…no, that would be gross. He needed these pants for multiple days after all. He could put on his old boxers… but then what would the point have been taking a shower. Finally he came to the conclusion, he needed Téa. "Gardener!" he called out.

"Yeah?" she asked.

His face turned red as he asked, "It appears I have left my boxers in my suitcase. Do you think you could hand them to me?"

She started to laugh and joked, "Now Mr. Kaiba, I don't believe that was in my job description."

Kaiba sweat dropped, that was closer to the Téa he remembered, but did she have to come out now?! "I don't have time for this Gardener," he replied simply.

She chuckled and replied, "It seems like you have plenty of time for this to me…Ooooh how cute they have a blue eyes white dragon on them!"

Kaiba's head dropped in embarrassment, 'Why did I have to pack those?' "Very funny Gardener now would you hand them to me? Otherwise I will be forced to come out there in all my infinite glory!" He said.

She chuckled and placed the boxers on the door knob. "Well aren't we cocky? It's on the door knob, boss." Téa sat down in front the mirror and continued to do her hair. She saw Kaiba's head poke out and look at her. He replied, "Not cocky, just honest." He slammed the door and she started to laugh.

When Kaiba finally came out, he was fully dressed and Téa was close to finishing her hair. Her hair was pulled up in a massive bun on top of her head. She must have put enough hair spray in to water the plants in a third world country. But it looked good. As I exited the bathroom, she grabbed her evening gown and makeup bag. "I should only be a few more minutes," she said as she entered the bathroom.

Kaiba looked at his watch and replied, "Fine, I am going to go downstairs Mr. Tomokins should be arriving any minute."

Mr. Tomokins arrived about ten minutes later and was talking to Kaiba and a few other CEOs in the lobby while they waited for Téa to come. It wasn't very long after, Kaiba as in the middle of discussing stock with Mr. Tomokins that he heard one of the men say, "Woah…"

Kaiba turned around to see what he was looking at and he saw Téa coming down the stairs. Her red dress seemed to float as she came down the stairs. There were slits on both sides which exposed her incredible legs. He then noticed the way the rest of his group looked at her and became angry. Kaiba met her half way and helped her the rest of the way down the stairs and wrapped his arm protectively around her waist. Téa blinked in surprise by the gesture, but went with it. He then introduced, "Mr. Tomokins, Mr. Devlin, and Mr. Shrills, this is my personal assistant Téa Gardener."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," she greeted. She reached out to shake their hands.

Devlin looked her up and down, and kissed her hand stating, "The pleasure is all mine." Téa cringed from the kiss and felt Kaiba's grip tighten on her.

Kaiba then cleared his throat and handed Téa the laptop. We will discuss our business shortly after dinner.

…

The restaurant was beautiful there was a koi pond in the middle of the room with small waterfalls on each side. They were sat in a table right next to one of the waterfalls Kaiba sat across from Téa. Devlin sat to her left and Mr. Tomokins sat next to him. Mr. Shrills was seated right across from Devlin.

While they discussed their business, Téa steadily typed down the things they were discussing. When suddenly she stopped. She felt a hand creep up her leg. She pushed the hand away and continued to type. A few minutes later, it happened again. Kaiba noticed the pause this time and asked if they needed to slow down, figuring she couldn't type that fast. She shook her head no and took a sip from her glass of wine. Once again she continued to type, but this time he got more daring. He slipped his hand under her dress and played with her thong. Finally having enough, she said, "Whoever is slipping their hand up my dress, I would greatly appreciate it if they would keep their hands to themselves." She knew who was doing it, but figured it would not be best to completely call him out.

Kaiba's eyes lit up in fury, he looked each one of these men down, but he had a pretty good idea of who the culprit might be. The meeting continued another 15 minutes without incident and Téa excused herself to go to the bathroom. As soon as she left all three men turned to Kaiba and Tomokins asked, "How did you get lucky enough to get a girl like that? She is stunning."

"She is just my assistant," Kaiba said as he tried to get them back on topic. But Shrills wasn't about to let that happen, "Are you kidding me? Just your assistant? With a body like hers, you should be banging her every night. Just look at that ass."

Kaiba grabbed Shrills by the collar and said, "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about my assistant like that." He let Shrills go when Devlin commented, "Seriously, I would sell my whole company for pennies to be able to spend the night with her legs wrapped around my waist."

Kaiba saw Téa come out the bathroom and said, "Téa, the meeting is almost over with," all that was left was to get each of their signatures and they could go back to the hotel. She sat down across from Kaiba and pulled out the final draft of their work. Each of the business men looked the contract over and waited to sign. While Kaiba signed his name, Téa felt a hand again, but this time the hand was abrupt. He grabbed at her crotch and pushed a finger inside. Téa gasped and grabbed her wine. She tossed the wine into Devlin's face.

Devlin screamed, "Why you bitch!" He smacked her so hard, that she fell backwards into the fountain. Kaiba stood up and quickly jumped into the water to help Téa up. The pond was slippery especially in heels. She was crying at this point and Mr. Tomokins and a server reached down to help pull her and Kaiba out of the pond. It was a lot deeper than it looked, it came up to about Kaiba's waist.

When they were both out, Kaiba grabbed Devlin and said, "If I ever see you touch a woman like that again, you will be missing your hands. He then pushed Devlin in the pond. It was freezing outside so he grabbed his coat which was dry and hanging on the back of his chair. He placed the coat around her shoulders and led her outside. He hailed a taxi and they went back to the hotel.

By the time they made it back to the hotel, Téa had stopped crying and started to shiver. Since she was wet, the warmth of the coat didn't last. "You can shower and change first," Kaiba said as the approached the hotel room. They both smelled like stinky fish water due to the pond. She nodded and grabbed her clothes before disappearing into the bathroom. While Téa was in the shower, Kaiba grabbed some firewood and placed it into the fireplace below the TV.

Knowing that Kaiba was drenched and cold, Téa showered off quickly and got dressed. She sat on the bed and cried silently while he was in the shower. She knew that this was the end. When Kaiba came out the bathroom he was drying his hair on a towel. She turned to him and said, "I'll have my office packed up as soon as we get home."

"You're quitting on me?" he asked.

"It looks a lot better than getting fired," she replied simply.

"Téa, I am not going to fire you," he said, "It wasn't your fault that this evening went sour. That worthless piece of shit Devlin was behind all this. I am not going to fire you for defending yourself."

"What about your contract?" Téa asked.

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the fireplace, "I used it to start the fire."

Téa then noticed something, "Since when did you start referring to me by my first name?"

Kaiba flicked on the television set and replied, "Since you stopped being Mrs. Moto."

…


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Téa woke up to the sound of Kaiba talking on the phone. He sounded pretty angry. When Kaiba noticed Téa was awake, he said, "I have to go," and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Téa asked curiously.

"Apparently, someone caught the whole incident yesterday on a cellphone camera. He turned on the TV and said, "It starts at where you throw wine in Devlin's face and ends with me throwing him into the pond."

Téa rubbed her cheek unconsciously and asked, "Once again, I do still have a job, right?"

"Stop worrying about your job," he said, "I already told you, your fine. Is your face okay? It looks a little red."

"I'm fine, it's just sore. So what is on the agenda today," Téa asked, "I noticed you didn't have anything written down on my planner."

"We don't have another meeting until tomorrow. So you can do whatever you want to today." Kaiba said.

Téa blinked in surprise and asked, "Really, well how about we go sightseeing together?"

"I have too much work to get done on the computer," Kaiba said as an excuse.

"Well how about I help you with that work so we can finish in half the time. Then we can go out together and do something?" Téa suggested.

Kaiba turned off the TV and said, "There really isn't much in New York that interest me. Go have your fun."

"How about that coffee shop Mokuba was telling me about. He said you don't ever leave New York without getting a cup of coffee and some chocolate from there." Téa said slyly.

Kaiba thought about it, he could really go for some good coffee right now. With a sigh, he grabbed a clean jacket from his suitcase and his wallet. "Go get dressed," he said.

She smiled knowing that she had won and quickly got dressed in the bathroom. When she came out, she was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a light blue shirt. She pulled on her black jacket and said, "Let's go."

They walked together down the road and Téa asked, "So how did you know about the divorce?"

"Mokuba found out from Wheeler's sister," He answered.

"Oh," she replied simply, "So, what have you been up to these past few years?"

"Other than working, not much. Just making sure Mokuba stays out of trouble." Kaiba answered.

"No relationships? That's surprising… after all, you have been the world's most eligible bachelor since high school." She replied.

Kaiba snorted, "I am flattered you kept track."

Téa laughed and replied, "You know what I mean."

They arrived at the coffee shop and Kaiba placed his order and let Téa decide what she wanted to order. Once she ordered, they walked over to a booth and Kaiba continued smugly, "No, I don't think I know what you mean. Tell me what was it that made you remember that little fact."

Téa laughed and replied, "I know that because every year when they posted that list, even after we were married, Yugi became extremely jealous. I suppose that should have been my first clue that he was cheating on me," She said sadly.

The waitress delivered their drinks and chocolate. Kaiba looked over to Téa as she took a sip from her hot cocoa. Even though she was trying to hide it, he could tell she was still in deep pain from the divorce. He also took a sip from his cup and said, "Yugi doesn't know what he lost yet. Once he realizes it, he will be kicking himself over it." Kaiba was silent for a moment before he asked, "Would you like to go to the American Museum of Natural History?"

"I thought you were too busy?" Téa replied.

Kaiba gave a rare smile and said, "Let's just say I changed my mind. There is something I want to show you."

She finished her candy and picked up her cup of coffee. "Well let's go already!" she said excitedly. She grabbed his arm and led him out the door.

"You're going the wrong way," he said. She laughed and turned around with him in tow.

…

There were several exhibits inside: dinosaurs, ocean life, and animals. But Kaiba was saving the best exhibit for last. Kaiba led her to the door that led to the attraction and held the door open. She gasped when she saw the inside. It was a warm room with tons of tropical plants and sitting on those plants and flying above them were hundreds of butterflies. She knelt down to touch one, but it flew off. "This is incredible," she whispered.

"Every winter hundreds of butterflies migrate. To help butterflies who are in danger of extinction, they set up this butterfly sanctuary," he explained.

"Let's take a picture and send it to Mokuba," she said eagerly. Before Kaiba could protest, she had already asked a stranger to take a picture of them. "Just hold down the button when you're ready," she instructed the person.

Kaiba kept a straight face while Téa was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "One, two," he heard the stranger say. Suddenly a butterfly landed on his nose as he heard the stranger say, "Three." The stranger continued to hold down the button, unknowingly taking multiple shots as Kaiba started to laugh. When Téa got her camera back she was pleased to find both a shot of when the butterfly landed and a shot of Kaiba smiling. She put the camera back in her purse and couldn't wait to send the pictures to Mokuba later.

Kaiba looked at his watch and asked, "Are you getting hungry?"

She nodded and replied, "Coffee and chocolate don't exactly qualify for a well-balanced breakfast."

As they were walking to the restaurant, Kaiba's phone started to ring, "Hey Mokuba," he said on the phone.

"Hey Seto, how are you guys enjoying the trip?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and replied, "It's a business trip Mokuba."

"Sure," Mokuba said, "I haven't seen you throw too many other guys into ponds over touching your secretary in the past."

"Look Mokuba, if you are going to hassle me over how Téa is enjoying the trip; why don't you ask her?" Kaiba said as he handed the phone to her.

"Hey Mokuba," she greeted as she started to tell him about the trip.

As they made it to their destination, Téa told Mokuba, "I have to go Mokie, but I will send you the photos tonight. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Kaiba. Surprisingly enough, there weren't any tables. That's when she saw a sign that read 'takeout only.' She didn't pay too much mind to it and figured that they would be going back to the hotel to eat. As expected, when their food was done, Kaiba hailed a taxi and they went straight back to the hotel.

When they arrived at the hotel, Kaiba sat the food on the table and said, "Go ahead and eat." He sat down on his bed and started to check his e-mail. Much to his surprise, Téa brought two plates of food over and sat next to him on the bed. She handed him one plate and a fork. She then grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and started to eat.

Kaiba's stomach flipped as he felt her sit in the bed with him. Sure, she was just eating lunch. But, something about her close proximity made him feel nervous. She seemed to sense his uneasiness and said, "I can go eat over there if you would prefer." Kaiba shook his head no and started to eat. The truth is, he kind of liked this feeling. He almost felt like he wasn't a billionaire business tycoon. In fact, he almost felt … normal. It was a different, but a welcome feeling.

After they ate, Kaiba got back to work on his computer while Téa sat next to him watching TV. About half way through the movie, Kaiba noticed that Téa had fallen asleep. He then realized, he had 2 options: He could either carry Téa to her own bed and risk waking her, or he could just let her sleep in his bed. He was just going to let her sleep with him, but at the last second, he chickened out and decided to sleep in her bed, while she slept in his.

The next morning was going to be their last day in NYC. He had a meeting that night with Thomas Kelms. They were going to attend the Nutcracker in the Koch Theatre and then discuss business over dinner. He knew Téa adored the ballet, so he kept it a secret for the time being. Téa had yet to wake up after he called Mokuba, so he called room service to have breakfast delivered.

He planned on waiting to eat until she woke up, but it had almost been an hour since the food was delivered and he was starting to get concerned. He shook her awake and said, "Téa breakfast is here."

She sat up sleepily and walked over to the table. Kaiba looked at her and felt like something was definitely off, but what? She sneezed and sat down. Kaiba moved across from her, silently missing the contact he had with her last night. He watched her close, for any sign of what was going on. Her phone buzzed and she got up to look at it. "Go to hell Yugi," he heard her mumble.

"What does he want?" Kaiba asked.

Téa shook her head and replied, "He saw the footage on the news of us having dinner together and is throwing a fit. He was blowing up my phone around midnight last night, making it difficult to sleep. Like he had any consideration for me while he slept around with all those whores." Téa then moaned and said, "God, I have a headache." Achoo

"What is on the agenda today?" he asked her as he saw her pulling out her planner.

Achoo, "No meetings until 5:00 tonight," she answered

He looked at her and saw she looked pale and skeptically asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

She sneezed again and replied, "It's probably just my allergies flaring up."

"Regardless, since our meeting isn't until later tonight. Why don't you finish eating and try to go back to sleep," Kaiba suggested?

"That sounds wonderful," she replied as she sneezed her way back to the bed.

…

Kaiba had soup delivered to Téa around 3:00 while he was out shopping for a treat to bring back to Mokuba. He was already dressed, but he knew Téa would need some time. While she was getting dressed, her throat started to hurt and all around her neck felt swollen. She knew she was getting sick.

"I'm back," Kaiba announced, "Mr. Kelms wants us to meet at the Koch Theatre. They are going to be having a showing of the nutcracker."

"That sounds nice," she said painfully. She didn't lose her voice yet, but it was painful to speak. Her makeup hid some of the fact that she felt sick, her smile did the rest of the talking for her. She truly was dying to see the Nutcracker … just at a time when she felt better.

By the time she was completely dressed, Kaiba was speaking with Mr. Kelms downstairs. She put on her silver slippers under her blue dress, because she felt too sick to be wearing heels. As she walked down the stairs, she saw Kaiba at the bottom. Her vision swayed and she felt her body collapse. The next thing she knew, he was in front of her along with what looked like a hotel staff member. "Téa, are you alright?" She could hear Kaiba talking to her, but was struggling to respond. He then pressed his hand up against her forehead and discovered she was drenched in sweat. "You're burning up," he mumbled. He then picked her up and turned to Mr. Kelm, "I'm sorry Sir, but it appears we will have to reschedule." He then asked the hotel employee to call a doctor.

Kaiba carried her up to their room and laid her in her bed, pulling the comforter up to her neck. He noticed she was still shivering, so he turned to grab the blanket off his bed as well. As he turned he heard her ask, "Does this mean we aren't going to see the Nutcracker?" He almost laughed at the question and replied, "Maybe another day when you are feeling better. The doctor is going to be here soon to evaluate you."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Kaiba then went downstairs to ask the hotel clerk if it was possible to extend their stay a few days, until she felt well enough to fly. It was. So Kaiba extended their stay by three days. He then called up his brother to inform him of the change. Seeing the doctor walk through the doors of the hotel, he told his brother, "I need to go," he hung up the phone and followed the doctor upstairs.

The doctor evaluated her and asked, "Is this the woman who was on the news with you the other day? The one who fell into the koi pond?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and nodded, he couldn't believe that a complete stranger recognized them. The doctor then explained, "When she fell in, I am willing to bet she accidentally swallowed or inhaled some of that nasty fish water. Which is a literal breeding ground for bacteria. She is going to be fine, but it will take her a few days to recover."

"So, she is not contagious?" Kaiba asked.

The doctor shook his head no and said, "No, just give her time to recover and she will be back to normal. I will call in an antibiotic for her."

"How much do I owe you doctor?" Kaiba asked.

"I work for the hotel. It has already been charged to your bill," The doctor replied.

…

As he let the doctor out, he heard Téa call out to him. He walked over to the bed and asked, "What do you want, Téa?"

"Come sit with me," she said. Kaiba watched her close as if wondering if she was serious. He then grabbed the remote and sat on the bed with her. She turned to face him and asked, "I'm so cold…Hold me?" She was shaking violently. He was extremely nervous, but he remembered how nice it was sitting with her eating lunch the other day. So hesitantly, he crawled under the covers and pulled her into his chest. Shortly afterwards, she fell fast asleep.

Kaiba brushed a piece of hair out of her face and thought, 'Yugi is a fool for letting this magnificent creature slip through his fingers.' He entwined his fingers with hers as he thought about her. 'How could he hurt someone so gentle and innocent? What was it that Yugi felt he was lacking enough to sleep with other women?' Kaiba could think of nothing. In a sense she became perfect in his eyes. Even the smell of her perfume was enough to provoke his desire.

…

The next morning, Kaiba woke up feeling better than he had in a very long time. He looked down at the girl lying in his arms and placed his hand on her forehead. She was still running a fever, so Kaiba stood up. When Téa asked him to stay with her last night, he had completely forgotten to pick up her medicine.

He didn't bother to change or comb his hair before he snuck out the room.

…

Téa woke up feeling just as sick as the night before, but much….much colder. She looked around the room for Kaiba, but it appeared he had already left. Téa wasn't sure how the hotel room service worked, so she couldn't call for breakfast. That left her with only one option, to turn on the television and feign interest.

When she turned on the TV, she saw Yugi getting off a plane. The reporter said over the video, "Famous Duelist, Yugi Moto is visiting New York today. He waved to his fans as he exited the plane. No one is sure why the promising young duelist is in town. But, many speculate it is because of the incident his ex-wife had with Seto Kaiba…There will be more on this story on the 12:00 news."

No… He can't be here Téa thought panicky. She struggled to her feet and stumbled to get to her cell phone on the kitchen table, across the room.

When she finally reached the table, her legs completely gave out on her, leaving her clinging to a chair.

Kaiba happened to walk in that very moment and said, "Woah there," he helped her into the chair and asked, "What's wrong?"

Téa tried to speak, but her voice was completely gone. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized she couldn't tell him. She pointed to the computer and he walked over to hand it to her. She then found the news video that was shown on the television and played it for him.

The news footage enraged Kaiba. He looked up at her and realized, she was trembling. He wrapped his jacket around her, not knowing if she was cold or scared. He looked her in the eyes and said, "He won't bother you here, I promise."

"I see you're making another promise you can't keep Kaiba," Yugi said as he stepped into the forgotten open door.

Kaiba stood in front of her and said, "Leave Yugi, you're not welcome here."

"Téa is my wife. I have every right to be here." He replied

"Ex-wife," Kaiba corrected.

"Really, and that is why she is still wearing the wedding ring I gave to her?" Yugi asked.

Seto turned back and noticed she was in fact still wearing her wedding band.

Téa pulled her rings off her finger and threw them at Yugi. She wanted nothing to do with Yugi anymore. Her heart couldn't take it. Yugi was both genuinely shocked and angered by her reaction, "Let's go home Téa. We can talk things out," he said irritably.

Téa shook her head no and Kaiba said, "It's time for you to leave Yugi."

"Fine," Yugi said, "But, keep your hands off my wife."

"Is that a challenge?" Kaiba asked.

"No," Yugi replied, "It's a promise."

Kaiba shut the door as Yugi left and locked it. He then handed Téa her medicine and a bottle of water. She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to stand. Kaiba noticed her struggle and carried her back to bed. He whispered half-jokingly and asked, "Do you want me to join you, just to piss Yugi off?"

Téa chuckled and pulled him close as he sat her on the bed. He was leaning over her as she held onto his shirt. She then sat up slightly and kissed him on the lips. She panicked when she saw Kaiba just sit there, figuring she made a mistake or misread his signals. But he silenced her fear when he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Completely out of breath and energy, she pat her hand on the bed, to ask him to join her. He smiled and was happy to surrender to her plea.

…

It was close to lunch time, when Kaiba felt his phone buzz in the pocket of his shirt. He slipped out of bed and stepped into the hall to prevent disturbing Téa. "Hey Mokuba," he said in a low voice.

"Hey big brother," he greeted. After a short pause he asked, "I'm not disturbing nothing, am I? I noticed your whispering."

Seto answered back, "No, Téa is just sleeping. How are things going at home?"

"Well, no one has tried to kidnap me or takeover the company yet. So I would say, just peachy! Is Téa doing any better?" Mokuba asked.

"Unfortunately no, the doctor thinks the water in the koi pond is what made her sick, and her body just needs to fight it off. Also, this morning we had an unexpected visit from Yugi." Kaiba said as he shook his head.

"What did he want?!" Mokuba screamed into the phone.

Kaiba held the phone away from his ear and said, "Watch your volume! He wanted Téa back obviously. Thankfully, she didn't seem to want anything to do with him and she stayed with me."

Mokuba caught that last bit and smirked, "Stayed with you huh? Big brother, are you trying to imply something?"

Kaiba cursed himself silently and almost laughed at his mistake, "Fine, I admit it. I am starting to feel something for her. I am not sure what, but something."

"The word you are looking for Seto is an erection." Mokuba answered smugly.

Kaiba was taken back by his brothers perverted sense of humor and said, "You're hanging out too much with the Mutt. In any case, I need to go. I think I hear Téa moving around in there."

He shut his phone and looked inside the hotel room. Téa looked more stable, but she still looked exhausted. She was looking around in the fridge presumably for something to eat. "Do you want me to order you some soup Téa?" he asked.

She nodded and sat down at the table. Kaiba walked up behind her and checked her temperature "It appears your fever finally broke. Are you feeling any better?" he asked as he dialed the number for room service.

She shrugged her shoulders, she didn't feel cold any more but she was far from feeling well. Besides that, she had nightmares about the day she found Yugi with another woman. The images kept playing in her head like a broken record. She wanted to be over him, but she just wasn't. She just kept asking herself, 'Why was I not good enough? Why couldn't he love me?'

She looked up as Kaiba was ordering the soup and her mind asked, 'Would any man deem me a satisfying companion?' Her mind was screaming no. But, her heart was yearning for the man standing before her. More than anything, she longed for that feeling of being cherished… treasured… That feeling that could only come from a happy marriage. A feeling that she was robbed of the day she discovered Yugi in the arms of another woman. After that day, she no longer felt like she could trust anyone. Could she trust Kaiba or was she just trying to believe in a fairy tale.

…


End file.
